A three-year survey of Macular Amyloidosis in dermatological clinics of Isfahan

Introduction: Macular amyloidosis is a relatively rare disease. A basic change appears to be amyloid material deposition in an apparently normal skin. The characteristic features of the disease are reticulate and ripple brown pigmentation in interscapular regions. Shoulder, back and chest. There are several reports indicating the association of the disease with rubbing against the skin. According to high frequency of the disease in our area especially among the women and due to its disability such as disfigurement for women, we decided to perform the following study. Materials and Methods: The study is an analytic descriptive one. Twenty-eight patients suffering from macular amyloidosis defined by clinical and laboratory findings were reviewed. The study being performed from October 1995 to October 1998 in University hospital dermatological clinics in Isfahan. Results: Twenty-one females and seven males were considered in the study. The age range was between 15-50 years. There was a positive family history in 43% of patients. Clinically the lesions were composed of reticulate and rippled pigmentation frequently observed in interscapular, upper arms and shoulder regions. The most common association in these patients was seborrheic dermatitis of scalp and face. In this study most of the patients mentioned the use of nylon brush during bathing and some of them relieved their itching with comb and brush. Conclusion: Female to male ratio in our study was three to one, which is compatible with higher frequency of disease among women in recent reports. The age range of patients was frequently between 15-34 years that is in young adults. A direct relationship was present between nylon brush or comb use during bathing and exacerbation of the disease. The traditional habit of using nylon objects during bathing might explain the high prevalence of this disorder in our community.